“He has definitely got his groove back”: Martin Truex Jr.’s 2nd victory gives David Wilson hope of Toyota driver going ‘deep’ in the championship

The winner of last weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway in the Californian wine country Martin Truex Jr. has reiterated his credentials for the championship this year.

Coming off a terrible 2022 season, the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD driver was winless last year, with results dwindling for the New Jersey native.

Martin Truex Jr. kicked off the 2023 season in the best way possible, winning the exhibition-style Busch Light Clash earlier this year before visiting victory lane in two different points-paying events.

With rumors doing the rounds about the 42-year-old's retirement from the sport last year, Truex Jr. decided to try his hand one more time at the highest echelon of stock car racing.

Now locked into the playoff postseason, Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson seems to want to continue on with Truex Jr. Elaborating on how the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion seems to have found his groove this year, Wilson said:

“He has definitely got his groove back, his win Sunday at Sonoma now makes obviously his second in the last six races. I think he has four top-5s, five top-10s in that same span, and I’m so happy for him."

David Wilson also spoke about how he thinks Martin Truex Jr. can make a significant bid in this year's playoffs and not just qualify for the same. He added:

“I think Martin’s just in a good place, not just on the track but off the track. I love his spirit. I love the gracious way that he wins and competes. So, I’m a fan of Martin, and I think he’s going to go deep this year.”

TRD President David Wilson sees a future NASCAR Hall of Famer in Martin Truex Jr.

The president of Toyota Racing Development did not stop at applauding Martin Truex Jr's recent achievements in the sport.

Coming off a harsh year with meager results for the #19 crew at Joe Gibbs Racing, Wilson was also appreciative of how Truex Jr. and the team have turned things around in a matter of one off-season.

Appreciating the efforts of James Small, the #19 crew chief as well as Truex Jr., Wilson elaborated:

“From my frame of reference and where he (Martin Truex Jr.) is, a future Hall of Famer in this sport, it’s about how fun he’s having, and you see him climbing out of that race car more and more often with a smile on his face. I also want to give a shoutout to the 19 team. James Small and the 19 team kept Martin out front on Sunday."

Watch Martin Truex Jr. and the #19 Joe Gibbs Racing crew try and keep their momentum going at the Ally 400 at the Nashville Superspeedway on June 25.